Ballad of Heroes and Villains
by AthanMortis
Summary: Harry Potter has been on many adventures. Saving a stone, killing a snake, and saving an innocent man. He's usually been, for the most part, alone on them. But on the eve of his greatest challenge so far, he finally gets some help thanks to a certain dogfather and a family heirloom. Unfortunately, that comes with its own set of problems...
1. Summoning

Harry lay on his bed, trying to fall asleep but unable to do so for some reason. It was beginning to irritate him, as according to his clock it was close to two in the morning. Something just hold him that it was important for him to be awake a bit longer.

He yawned and, since he wasn't able to fall asleep, his mind went to something he'd been looking forward to since his birthday. Soon the Weasleys would be picking him up to stay with them, and they'd all be going to the Quidditch World Cup shortly afterwards. He grinned to himself, eagerly imagining such an event, well aware that nothing he came up with would be likely to match reality.

He was surprised out of his thoughts when there was a tapping on the window. He got up, looking over to find a bird he could tell was brightly colored even in the dark. That could only mean one thing, which made a grin reappear on his face.

He quickly got up and opened the window, letting the bird flutter in. Hedwig hooted slightly in disapproval at the bright intruder, who seemed to ignore her displeasure, holding out a small parcel with a letter attached to Harry, who quickly took them from it.

"Thanks." He said, offering the bird an owl treat and some water. It disdained the treat, but eagerly partook of the water, which didn't surprise him too much. It had obviously travelled a long distance.

Shortly after the bird had left back into the distance Harry closed the window and turned to the delivery while turning on his lamp. He grabbed the letter and opened it first, smiling when he saw he was correct and it was from his godfather.

 _Harry,_

 _Thank you for your last letter. I'm glad to hear you're going to the Quidditch World Cup. Sounds like it'll be a lot of fun, so make sure to enjoy yourself._

 _That isn't the main reason for this letter, though. In the package is something that belongs to you. It's been in your family for generations, and James entrusted it to me in case of any issues. I'd proceeded to hide it at my current location and forgot about it till I came across it by chance. It is more than just a trinket, however._

 _From what James told me about it, it is a powerful magical item created some time ago by one of your ancestors during a time that the Potter family was in a blood feud, just short of an all-out war, against another, very large and powerful, family. Battles between the families were common, and left devastation in their wake. I don't know the reasons for the feud, though from what I know about the other family, I'd say it's something they did._

 _In any case, your ancestor was a brilliant woman, probably the most brilliant the family ever produced. The item she created apparently gave her command over something immensely powerful which allowed her to end the feud with the opposing family by all but rendering them extinct. She was seemingly invincible. When the conflict was over, she stopped using it, deeming it no longer needed. But needless to say, nobody else messed with the Potters from that point forward out of fear of bringing that same power down on their heads._

 _What exactly the power that woman summoned was is currently unknown. Even James didn't know. All that's passed down is that it's "The Strength of Ages". It goes without saying that other Potters tried to use the artifact after that, but nobody knows how to. James tried to summon that power as well when your family was being hunted by Voldemort, but unfortunately he couldn't. Him and your mother thought there was something that you had to do to activate it, and then a certain amount of power the person activating it had to have. Neither James nor Lily were slouches when it came to magical power, but they thought that it still may not have been enough. So, in the end, they gave it to me to make sure there was no chance of Voldemort getting his hands on such a powerful artifact._

 _I don't know if you'll be able to activate it, Harry. But with Wormtail's escape I'd prefer you have something to back you up. Besides which, it's rightfully yours anyway. Take good care of it, and if you manage to get it to work, let me know. I'm curious as hell as to what it actually does._

 _Best wishes,_

 _Sirius_

Harry set the letter down and looked at the small package with curiosity. He was now intensely interested in what was in it. No matter what it could do, it was a family heirloom. An important one, from the sounds of it. Quickly he opened it, letting the contents drop onto his palm.

It was a heavy ring made up of what appeared to be silver. It was made of bands that twisted together in an intricate pattern that looked like a crown of some sort when looked at from a certain angle.

He sat down on his bed, observing the ring from every angle. The low light didn't let him get a good look at it. Eventually he set it on his bedside table and lay back down, deciding to study it more in the daylight. He closed his eyes as his mind churned with what he'd learned.

An amazing power that only a single woman had ever wielded and had the potential to help the user win a war. It sounded amazing. He went to sleep with a smile on his face, imagining capturing Wormtail with a towering monster that made a dragon look tame.

* * *

The next day Harry was in the kitchen making himself some bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwiches. Thankfully for his sanity the Dursleys had left for the day, leaving him on his own after a surprisingly small amount of persuasion. He'd only had to use the 'escaped convict godfather' card once!

He'd spent the morning studying the ring he'd received. It had a lot more intricate detail than he'd realized when observing it in the dim light of his lamp. The entire surface was covered in miniscule etchings that it took him a bit to realize were runes from when he'd seen Hermione working on them the previous year.

He was amazed at the work that must have gone into the ring. The runes were etched in parts of the ring he didn't believe possible, even when factoring in magic. He knew that if he showed it to Hermione she'd be liable to start drooling.

He wondered what one had to do to activate it. What could his parents have tried? He began to imagine the complicated spells they likely attempted, probably things that he hadn't even begun to learn yet. From everything he'd heard the two were highly intelligent, so he didn't doubt that they knew some secret, super advanced spells that would make his brain hurt to comprehend.

"Ouch!" He said as he cut his thumb while he was slicing the tomato. He scowled at himself for getting so distracted he did something like that. He quickly moved to the tap and got ready to wash his thumb when he stopped and looked at it speculatively.

There was no way it could possibly be that simple, could it? Wouldn't someone have tried it before?

He considered that. From what Harry had heard before, anything involving blood when it came to magic was both extremely powerful and more often than not illegal. So it was possible that others may have dismissed the possibility as a matter of course.

But what about those that didn't? There had to be at least one person that tried it.

Well, maybe they didn't meet the power requirement for it Sirius said his parents had said there might be. But surely that meant that he didn't meet the criteria. Right?

He looked down at his bloody thumb before shrugging. There was really no harm in trying.

He quickly began to make his way up the stairs to his room, leaving the food where it was for the moment. He reached his bedside table and picked up the ring with the hand that wasn't bleeding. He held it tightly and pressed his blood covered thumb against the ring, holding his breath.

Nothing happened.

Harry frowned before sighing, unsurprised. It was a longshot anyway. He cleaned the ring with a nearby tissue and went to set it back down before pausing once again. He felt like he was missing something. He looked at the ring before blinking as he realized that it was a ring, but he wasn't wearing it. Maybe it had to be worn to take effect? That would make sense.

He licked his lips and put it on his right hand's ring finger. Once on it resized itself to fit him perfectly, something he checked by moving his hand and fingers around, making sure it wouldn't interfere with his dexterity. Once he was satisfied he brought the ring up and once again pressed his bleeding thumb to it.

For a moment nothing happened. Then he suddenly gasped as he felt the ring start drawing on his magic. It began to draw huge amounts of it, more than he'd ever used before, even when casting the patronus against the dementors, making him start feeling weak and lightheaded. He moved his thumb from the ring to see the silver absorbing the blood as well. Then words entered his head, and he knew he had to speak them now.

"I announce." He said, the words spilling from his lips almost before they entered his brain. "Your self under me, my fate is in your sword. If you abide by this feeling, this reason, then answer. Here is my oath." He felt a small thrill of terror at the word oath. Everything he knew about magical oaths was bad. He could only hope this was not a literal one and just part of the chant. "I am the one who becomes all the good of the world of the dead, I am the one who lays out all the evil of the world of the dead." A magic circle the likes of which he'd only seen in non-magical media so far appeared on the floor, glowing a strong blue color. "You, seven heavens clad in three words of power, arrive from the ring of deterrence, O keeper of the balance!"

There was a flash of light and a burst of energy somewhat different from the magic Harry was used to. He closed his eyes at the flash, but opened them quickly when a new voice spoke. He looked up to see a beautiful blond girl in a blue dress with silver armor over it standing before him. Her hands were set in front of her, as though gripping something invisible that was planted against the ground.

"From the Throne of Heroes I have come to your summons. I ask of you, are you my Master?" She said.

Harry gulped. "Hoo boy…"

* * *

In a location far from Britain, in the forests of Eastern Europe, stood an old tower. Nobody local had approached it for decades, as stories said that anybody who got near experienced a gruesome death.

Inside the highest room in the tower, a crystal ball began to pulse with a red light, its mist filled confines swirling maddeningly. A figure turned and gazed at the ball, surprised, before slowly approaching. "Intriguing…" The figure said in a sultry, feminine voice. "It seems my counterpart has finally activated the gate again." A grin stretched ruby red lips almost inhumanly wide. "Finally, this hunt can end…"

Laughter rang out in the tower as a smooth hand caressed the crystal ball, a ring just like Harry's adorning its finger.

* * *

 ** _Welcome, one and all, to my HP/Fate fusion story! *fireworks go off in the background*_**

 ** _I know, I already have plenty of stories to work on, but this one just wouldn't let me go._**

 ** _Yes, having Arturia (or however it's said, there's so much contradiction on her name) as his main Servant is a bit cliché, I admit it freely, but it just fit so perfectly. And this is going to be a bit like Grand Order with Harry being able to command multiple Servants. So he's not stuck with just her._**

 ** _To those who follow my other HP story, this is basically the story challenge I posted back in chapter five of that, with a few changes that occurred to me since then. That doesn't mean the challenge isn't open. Anybody who wants to try their hand at something similar to this is welcome to try. All I ask is that they let me know they're doing it so I can give it a read, and credit me with the original idea._**

 ** _That said, the Nasuverse is not involved in this beyond the Servants, the Throne of Heroes, and some mechanics. That means no Clock Tower, Dead Apostles, or other such showing up. Although I wouldn't be surprised if Zelretch managed to poke his head in just to be a troll._**

 ** _Because of this, some Servants might have their backgrounds changed slightly to accommodate the different setting. Otherwise they'll be essentially the Nasuverse versions of themselves._**

 ** _I think that's all I have to say for the moment. Please leave me a review letting me know what you think of this. Don't know what I'll work on next, so keep an eye peeled. Till next time. Bye._**


	2. Heroic Explanations

Harry stared at the girl who stood where the magic circle had been for nearly half a minute. He was having trouble with the realization that his attempt had worked and summoned this (very pretty) girl into his room.

Said girl, for her part, simply gazed back at Harry, though an eyebrow that slowly rose said that she was waiting for some sort of reaction.

Finally Harry's brain came back online. "Uh, your Master? I… guess? I summoned you, at least."

She looked at him for a few moments longer before nodding. "Very well, it is nice to meet you, Master." She looked him over more thoroughly now. "I'll admit, when I felt myself being summoned, I expected someone… older."

Harry flushed slightly. "I see. Well, uh, please don't call me Master. It makes me uncomfortable. My name is Harry, Harry Potter."

She hesitated before bowing her head. "Very well, if that is your wish, I'll call you Harry." She then straightened back up. "I am your Servant, Arturia Pendragon, King of Camelot and Wielder of Excalibur. For as long as I am on this plane, my sword is yours."

Harry blinked, attempting to process the information he'd just been given. "You're… King Arthur." At her nod he couldn't help the question he blurted out. "Were the people of your time stupid, or just blind?"

A small smile appeared on Arturia's lips. "I take it you refer to my gender? Merlin had a part in the popular perception of my being a man. I felt that the people at the time would not follow a Queen as easily as they would a King."

Harry opened his mouth, before shutting it slowly. "I… suppose you have a point. But, how are you here? You died nearly a thousand years ago."

Arturia eyed him. "You summoned me from the Throne of Heroes, of course." At the sight of his continued confusion she went on. "You… have no idea what's going on, do you?"

Harry flushed. "Sorry. All I know is my godfather sent me a ring that was supposed to summon some great power but no information beyond that. I just got lucky on activating it. I have no idea what is actually going on, besides the fact that I somehow managed to summon you."

Arturia nodded slowly. "Very well, I'll explain to the best of my ability." As she opened her mouth to do so, however, she was interrupted by a grumbling sound coming from Harry's stomach. She raised an eyebrow as he blushed.

"Ah, sorry. I was in the middle of making myself lunch when I had the idea for how to summon you. Do you mind continuing to talk while I get something to eat?" He asked nervously, it just now sinking in that he was in front of legendary royalty.

She nodded agreeably and stepped aside to let him lead the way out of the room. She followed him down the stairs to the kitchen, looking around curiously. Her eyes narrowed slightly as she looked at the various family photos on the walls. She wrinkled her nose in slight distaste as she entered the kitchen. Everything was far too clean for her liking. Obsessively so.

Harry, having quickly grabbed a band aid from the medicine cabinet on the way down for his cut thumb, quickly washed the tomato he'd been cutting of any blood and started slicing it again. He turned to look at Arturia, who was looking out the window with interest. "Would you like a sandwich?" He asked her.

She turned from the window to shake her head. "No. I don't require food for sustenance. I am supported by your magical energy while I'm here. The only reason I'd have to eat now is to enjoy the taste, as it won't do much to give me nourishment."

"Ok…" He said as he put extra bacon in the frying pan. "Anyway, you were going to explain what's going on?"

The blond king pulled out a chair and took a seat as she began to speak. "Very well. The ring you have is an object that can forge a connection to the Throne of Heroes and summon Heroic Spirits."

Harry nodded, listening as he cooked. "Okay. What exactly is the Throne of Heroes?"

"The Throne of Heroes is… well, I suppose you could say it is a place, though it's as much a concept as anything else." Arturia began. "Essentially, when a person who has done great deeds in life that resound throughout history dies, they become what is known as a Heroic Spirit, which is exactly what it sounds like. There they remain in the Throne of Heroes. So, for example, if you became an amazing warrior, who's name was known far and wide, to the extent that that you become known throughout history for your deeds, then upon your death you will most likely end up in the Throne of Heroes with me."

"Huh, I see…" He didn't say anything about his current, unwanted fame, though he'd have to make sure to inform her if she stayed around for any measure of time. He began putting the sandwiches together as he continued. "So the ring summons Heroic Spirits from the Throne of Heroes to work for the summoner?"

Arturia nodded. "Yes. I have been summoned to a physical body made of magic and, since your magical power is surprisingly high for your age, pretty much at my full strength. I can give you a full accounting of my skills once we go over more urgent topics." When he set a sandwich in front of her she gave him a look, but he looked completely unrepentant, so she sighed but didn't make an issue of it as he sat down with his own sandwich in front of him. "I do wish to know, however, why you summoned me. I understand you didn't aim for me, specifically, but you still knew that the ring was supposed to summon something. Was it simple curiosity, or do you have need of my help?"

Harry closed brought his sandwich to his mouth and closed his eyes as he chewed, thinking. Though part of him had simply been curious as to what the ring did, there was another part of him that couldn't help but remember Professor Trelawney's prophecy about Wormtail and Voldemort. Deciding to at least inform her of his past and what was after him, he opened his eyes and moved to speak but stopped short for a moment at the sight in front of him.

Arturia was in the same pose, waiting for him to speak, but somehow in less than fifteen seconds she'd devoured her sandwich. The plate was spotless, with not even a single crumb left. He blinked, dumbfounded, and looked up at her. She simply gazed back, waiting for him to speak. He shook his head lightly and went back to what he was going to do in the first place, which was explain who and what he was, along with what had happened to him so far.

The girl opposite him listened intently, taking everything in, even as Harry explained even more than he planned to, going into the events of each year that usually ended with him having to save the day in some way.

"…so considering the fact that I haven't had a single quiet year at Hogwarts so far, and the prophecy I heard a couple of months ago, I guess I would really somebody to back me up, you know?"

Arturia sat back and nodded. "I understand. After all you've been through, I don't blame you for wanting some support. I am honestly amazed at all you've been able to do at your age. I don't think any of my knights could have done some of the things you did." She smiled more fully this time. "If you continue as you have been, I have no doubt you'll wind up in the Throne of Heroes with in time."

Harry blushed, flattered. He smiled back and picked up the plates, beginning to put everything away as she watched. Then he grimaced as he thought of the next problem he was facing. "Alright, now I just need to figure out where you're going to sleep. The Dursleys aren't going to be happy about this, but I think I can, ah, convince them."

Arturia tilted her head to the side. "Somehow I don't think you mean that in a positive way."

Harry turned to her as he finished putting everything away, but before he could speak he heard the sound of the Dursleys' car pulling into the driveway. He grimaced further, and briefly considered having Arturia hide in his room before deciding against it. It would come up eventually, so he might as well face it head on, like a Gryffindor. He sighed as Arturia stood when they heard the door open. "Oh, this is going to suck…"

Arturia looked at him quizzically, but before she could speak Vernon walked into the kitchen, stopping dead at the sight of the cute blond girl in armor. His face quickly began to redden, making the King blink at the sight of the man turning into a large tomato.

"Boy!" He bellowed, making the girl's hand twitch as though to draw a blade, not that he noticed. "Who is this… this… hussy!?"

Arturia's eyes narrowed at the obese man even as Dudley and Petunia peered in, trying to see what he was talking about. Petunia pursed her lips almost into non-existence, but Dudley's eyes went wide and a prominent blush appeared on his face at the sight of her.

"She's… my new bodyguard!" Harry said quickly, going with a sudden idea. "My godfather - you know, the escaped mass murderer? – he wanted to make sure I was safe. So he sent her to look after me." As Vernon began to rapidly switch between beetroot and spoiled milk, unable to decide how to take the young man's words, Harry went in for the kill. "She's under orders to deal with any threats to me in a permanent fashion, and I can't countermand that. So please, Uncle, don't do anything that might end up with you hurt."

Vernon's eyes went from Harry to Arturia, taking in the armor and the menacing look in her eyes as she gazed at him, and licked his lips. "W-well… A-at least make sure the neighbors can't see her. And get her some normal clothes!" He blustered, trying to project strength, but failing miserably.

"Of course, Uncle Vernon. I promise she'll be as unobtrusive as possible. We'll just get out of your way now." He slowly led Arturia towards the stairs, the Dursleys scrambling out of their way. Knowing that the bent truth Harry provided was the best way to avoid any further conflict, the summoned servant made sure to continue looking dangerous, eyeing the non-magicals of the house till they were out of sight.

When she entered Harry's room and he shut the door she relaxed and frowned. "Unpleasant fellow, isn't he?"

"That's pretty much the normal description of Vernon Dursley." Harry said dryly. "Sorry about that. The Dursleys are… intolerant against anything that doesn't fit their definition of normality."

"I imagine it was not pleasant to be a magical child with them, in that case." She said. "I ensured Camelot was more tolerant than most towards those with magical gifts, but there were occasions when families reacted badly when Merlin informed them of their child's abilities."

Harry grimaced. "Yeah, sounds about right for them." He shook his head. "Anyway, now that we've gotten your staying here settled for now, we need to see about accommodations with the Weasleys. I'm not sure how that'll work, but it's not like I can leave you here. Though, I suppose I could, er, dismiss you and summon you again later…"

"Absolutely not!" Arturia said firmly, making him jump in surprise. "After everything you've told me about your life so far, I refuse to leave you without the protection of myself or another Heroic Spirit for any amount of time. You have a dangerous enemy that managed to cheat death after you already, and considering the prophecy you heard leaving you unguarded is extremely unwise." She shook her head. "No, I will be staying by your side for the foreseeable future, Master."

Harry stared at her before sighing. "Alright, alright. In that case I'll need to write to the Weasleys and inform them you're coming with me. I wish they'd let me give them some gold for the imposition…" He grumbled as he grabbed some paper and a pen, quickly penning a note saying that he'd have a bodyguard coming with him and that he was sorry for the imposition and would explain when he got there. He then gave the letter to Hedwig, who hooted at him before heading out, winging her way towards the Weasleys.

Harry then sat on the bed and motioned to the desk chair. "Alright then, if you're going to be my bodyguard we should probably discuss what your abilities are."

Arturia smiled, taking her seat, and began to speak, Harry listening avidly.

* * *

 ** _Hello everybody, to another chapter!_**

 ** _Yes, I know not much happened, but this was a necessary chapter so Harry has some idea of what's going on. Things will get more interesting going forward, I promise._**

 ** _Now something I need to say regarding this fic. I've decided that this will not be compliant with HBP and DH. That means no Hallows or Horcruxes. Frankly, Voldy isn't going to be the main bad guy of this story, so there's no point in dragging getting rid of him out like that. I'll come up with some other way to explain their connection._**

 ** _Pairing is undecided. I have no clue. Probably not a Servant, but beyond that it's wide open. Up to me, though, so don't think you can bully me into choosing who you want._**

 ** _Also, to all those who think they know who the woman in the tower is, you're wrong. She's an OC, so I can almost guarantee you won't guess it. That said, there was a tidbit in the last chapter that hinted at it. Let's see who can spot it._**

 ** _Writing will slow down, so you all know. I'm going to start working on original short stories to sell on Amazon Kindle for money. Unfortunately the reason I've sped up my plans on that is because I intend to give all the money I make to my best friend, who is jobless due to disability but not getting disability benefits, and that is getting kicked out of his apartment. So I have plenty of motivation, at least._**

 ** _Anyway, till next time, wish me luck with my original writing, and please leave a review._**


	3. Show and Tell

Harry sat at the bottom of the stairs as he waited, his trunk on the floor in front of him, Arturia standing beside him at attention, looking dangerous and regal as always despite not wearing her armor, clad in the blue dress she wore underneath it.

It had been a tense few days. The Dursleys avoided Arturia, and by extension Harry, like the plague. Not that Harry minded. It made things so much simpler.

Harry and his bodyguard (or Servant, as she called herself, and he could practically hear the capitalization) had spent most of their time talking, Arturia telling him of Camelot and her knights, along with their battles with things no longer seen in the world, either due to extinction or retreat, such as True Dragons and other Phantasmal Beasts, while Harry told her some of the other adventures he'd had.

Now it was time for Harry to be picked up by the Weasleys. He'd received a message asking what he meant by a bodyguard, but Harry had replied simply saying that he'd explain when he arrived and that there was nothing to worry about. He figured Mrs. Weasley was still going to be anxious about it, however.

Harry sighed and checked his watch. The Weasleys were late. He was only glad he (read Arturia) had managed to convince the Durselys to leave for the day rather than stick around. He was sure that mixing the two would be an unmitigated disaster.

It was as his watch hit fifteen past that he heard a sound coming from the living room. Arturia obviously heard it as well, because she tensed and moved through the door, ready for action. As she opened the door Harry could hear noise sounding from the electric fireplace.

"Ouch, what the bloody hell!?" A muffled but familiar voice said from behind the wall. There was a thump, and then the voice spoke again. "Ow, Fred, no, go back, tell Ron and Dad-"

Another thump, and a new voice, one Harry definitely recognized. He began to grin as he realized what had happed while the new voice asked. "What're you doing?"

"Oh, nothing much, Ron." Someone said sarcastically. "We're just standing here, squished in the dark, for a laugh."

Harry was about to speak to get his friends out of this predicament when Arturia beat him to the punch, speaking in her commanding voice. "Who is there!? Come out of the wall, now!" She brandished the invisible form of Excalibur, ready for any attack, a soft glow once again leaving her clad in armor.

The voices went silent for a moment. "We're in the wa-?"

The voice was interrupted by another thump, followed by a new voice. "Boys, what's going on?"

Harry couldn't help it. He laughed. "Mister Weasley, the fireplace is blocked."

The voices went silent before Mister Wasley spoke. "They blocked the fireplace? Whatever for?"

"They have an electric fireplace." He responded with a grin.

"Eclectrick!?" Mister Weasley sounded excited, which was no surprise. "Does it use plugs?"

"No offence, Dad." One of the twins said, sounding a bit strangled. "But could you maybe hold your questions until after we get out?"

"Oh, right, of course. Harry, stand back." Mister Weasley said, causing Harry's eyes to widen before he stepped back, motioning for Arturia to do the same, which she slowly did.

There was a bang, and the wall covering the fireplace flew apart, raining dust and debris on the two in the room, Arturia moving to shield Harry with her body.

Four male figures stepped into the room, coughing, their crimson hair having streaks of white from plaster dust. "Bloody hell…" Ron said between coughs.

Once again, Harry couldn't help but laugh even as Arturia eyed the new arrivals warily. He waved her down. "Relax, Arturia. They aren't a threat."

Arturia frowned but obliged, Excalibur disappearing to wherever it was when she wasn't wielding it, though her armor remained, just in case.

"Harry!" Mister Weasley exclaimed with a smile before he turned curious eyes to Arturia.

"Mister Weasley." Harry said with a smile before motioning to the cute blonde girl. "This is Arturia, my bodyguard. Don't worry, I trust her."

The Weasley patriarch studied Arturia for a few moments more as she did the same before he turned to Harry. "If you say so, Harry. Albus still wants to talk to you two about it, though. I'm sure you understand."

Harry nodded. It did make sense. Dumbledore wasn't going to just let him associate with some strange person without investigating. Not to mention Harry needed to discuss a way to bring Arturia to the school with him.

The twins looked around the dirty living room, searching. "Where's your family, Harry?" Twin number one asked, a grin on his face.

Harry once again felt relieved that he'd convinced the Dursleys to leave. "They're out for the day. I figured things would go more smoothly this way." He glanced around at the debris strewn everywhere. "Seems I was right."

Mister Weasley chuckled sheepishly as the boys'faces fell. "Yes, perhaps so… Anyway, ready to go?"

Harry nodded. "My trunk is in the hall."

"We'll get it." The twins said, moving through the door as their father started fixing everything with waves of his wand while Ron approached his best friend.

"Good to see you, mate." He glanced at Arturia, who was watching the only other adult in the room like a hawk. "Err, so, who is…?"

"I'll explain when we get to your house, Ron." Harry said with a smile. "I'd rather tell you and Hermione at the same time."

Ron nodded in understanding as the twins came in with the trunk. "Ready, dad."

"Great. So I'm guessing we're going by floo?" Harry asked.

Mister Weasley nodded. "Yes. Normally we wouldn't be able to, but I have a chap in the Floo regulation office who owes me a favor that helped set up a temporary connection."

As Harry nodded Arturia decided to ask for clarification. "What exactly is this 'floo'?"

Mister Weasley blinked, surprised. "Harry, I thought she was magical. Are you telling me you've informed a muggle about magic?"

"No sir. It's complicated. Let's just say she's, uh, a bit behind the times." Harry said slightly sheepishly before turning to his Servant and explaining the floo process.

Arturia nodded in understanding once he finished. "I see. Very well then, I will go first to make sure it's safe, Master."

Harry blushed lightly at the looks the three redheaded teens were giving him for having a pretty blonde call him 'Master'. "That's fine, I guess. Just make sure to say 'The Burrow' clearly. Otherwise you'll end up somewhere you don't mean to."

The knight nodded as she took a pinch of the floo powder Ron offered her and stepped towards the fire Mister Weasley had started in the now revealed fireplace. Without the slightest bit of hesitation she threw the powder into the flames, watching as they changed color, before stepping into the fire. "The Burrow." She said calmly and clearly, disappearing in a whirl.

As the twins moved into the fire with Harry's trunk Mister Weasley moved close to Harry, face serious. "Now that she's gone, who is that girl, Harry?"

Harry let out a sardonic smile. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you, Mister Weasley. I trust her, though, and you can trust me that she's not a threat. I wouldn't let her anywhere near your family if she was."

The ginger haired man eyed his son's friend before nodding. "Alright Harry, I trust you. I just needed to make sure. You understand, I'm sure?"

Harry nodded. "Of course." He took a pinch of floo powder before making his way to the fire. Remembering previous trips through the floo, he took off his glasses and put them in his pocket before stepping into the flames. "The Burrow!"

After a nauseating trip through the floo system, Harry stumbled out of a fireplace and into the familiar Weasley living room, almost face planting onto the ground, only being caught by Arturia's strong hands at the last minute. "Easy, Master. That is quite an unpleasant experience."

Harry chuckled, managing to get his feet under himself and standing on his own. "Thanks Arturia." He pulled his glasses out of his pocket and put them on just in time to be impacted by a bushy haired missile. "Oof!"

"Harry, I'm so happy to see you." Hermione babbled happily. "How are you? And who's this? Why is she dressed like that? What did you mean by bodyguard? Have you gotten into more trouble? Are you hurt? Wha-"

"Hermione, breathe!" Harry laughed as Ron appeared with a whoosh, rolling his eyes as he saw his friend being strangled by the witch.

Harry was smiling as he looked around, waving at Ginny, who waved back, a light blush on her cheeks that was nowhere near as prominent as it used to be, making him hopeful that she might be over her silly crush on him soon.

Harry took a breath when Hermione finally let him go, only to be nearly suffocated by Mrs. Weasley. "It's so good to see you, Harry dear."

"Good to see you too, Mrs. Weasley." He managed to get out, sighing in relief when she let him go.

Then the plump woman turned towards the still armored blonde. "And this is?"

The armored king bowed her head. "I am Arturia, Harry's Servant. I apologize for the imposition." She bore the scrutiny of the Weasley matriarch with good grace.

"Arturia, you can relax. We're safe. Go ahead and dismiss the armor." Harry said.

Arturia nodded and the silvery armor glowed before disappearing in motes of light, leaving her in the blue and white dress she wore underneath.

Hermione turned to Harry, a gleam in her eye that frightened him more than a bit. "Harry, what did she mean by 'servant'?"

Harry smiled nervously. "I'll explain later, Hermione. Promise."

As the brunette girl huffed slightly Mister Weasley spoke. "Albus asked me to contact him when you arrived so he could discuss that with you. He'll be here shortly." Harry nodded in understanding before promptly being introduced to the two eldest Weasley children, Bill and Charlie. He shook their hands enthusiastically and began getting to know them while Hermione began to question Arturia curiously. The blonde, having been warned about his friend's inquisitive nature, answered shortly and concisely, being careful to not give much away at the moment.

It was later, when everybody was helping set things up to eat in the garden that Dumbledore showed up. He walked out into the garden with a smile on his face, though his eyes scanned Arturia intensely when he caught sight of her. Said knight gazed back at him with curiosity, interested in the man her master had spoken of as being the most powerful and accomplished mage of this era.

"Hello Harry. It's good to see you're doing well." Dumbledore said as he approached them. "And it's a pleasure to meet you as well, Miss."

Arturia nodded back in greeting as Harry smiled. "It's good to see you too, Professor. I'm guessing you want to talk alone?"

"That would be for the best, yes." Dumbledore turned towards the nearby teens. "I'll just be borrowing Harry for a moment. We'll be right back." As the others watched, Dumbledore led Harry and Arturia away from the tables being laden with food.

Once they were far enough away he waved his wand, making Arturia tense, and the sounds of nature around them became muffled. "There, now we are unlikely to be overheard. Now then…" He turned to Arturia. "Might I have your name, my dear?"

Arturia eyed Dumbledore before turning to look at Harry, who nodded slowly. Then she turned back to the aged headmaster. "I am Arturia Pendragon, King of Camelot and Wielder of Excalibur. I serve as Harry Potter's Servant, and shall guard him with my life. My blade is his to command."

For the first time in his life, Harry got to see Dumbledore be absolutely gobsmacked. The old man's eyes were wide, and Harry was surprised he wasn't outright gaping in shock. "What."

Harry couldn't help it. He laughed, even as Arturia let out a slight smile. "That was pretty much my reaction, Professor." Harry admitted, chuckling.

"How did this happen, Harry?" Dumbledore asked, regaining his composure.

Now it was Harry's turn to be surprised. "Wait, you believe her? That easily?"

Dumbledore stroked his long white beard. "Ah, Harry, the moment I laid eyes on her, I knew she wasn't truly human. I can sense that she is an immensely powerful being. I just don't know exactly what. Any chance you could explain?"

Harry blinked but proceeded to do so, showing Dumbledore the ring and explaining everything that happened the day he summoned Arturia, said knight helping explain Servants and Heroic Spirits.

"Fascinating…" Dumbledore murmured, his wand tip alight as he studied the ring. "I had heard the stories of the legendary Potter family magic, but I never imagined it was something such as this. Truly, I'm glad to have a chance to see something so amazing." He straightened back up from where he'd been leaning over Harry's hand. "I hope you don't mind if took some time to ask you things about Camelot and your time period, Your Highness. There is much that has been lost. Magic other than the wand magic we use now, for example, is bearly known except by the natives of the Americas, India and various parts of Asia, primarily due to fools seeking to control and limit us in the past due to hysteria after dark lords misused power. I myself only know the basics of some of the older forms of magic, such as Jewelcraft and Blood Magic. Any information you can provide on such things would be invaluable."

Arturia nodded slowly. "I see no issue with discussing such things. I too would like to know more about the era I find myself in. Harry can only tell me so much."

"I have no problem with that either, Professor, assuming we find some way to get her to Hogwarts with me. Neither of us is comfortable with keeping her someplace like Hogsmeade." Harry said, crossing his arms.

Once again, Dumbledore stroked his beard in thought. "Hmm, I might have an idea." He looked at the two. "This year, Hogwarts will be hosting a large, high profile event. I cannot tell you what it is at his time. You will find out at the feast on September 1st. I have been arguing with Cornelius that the event needs more security, however the Ministry refuses to provide any aurors for such a task." His gaze turned to Arturia. "If you would be willing to act as security during the year, then I can allow you to live within the castle. Harry would, of course, be compensated for the service, as your employer. This should give you access to be able to continue watching him throughout the year. Would this be satisfactory?"

Harry and Arturia gazed at each other, Arturia bowing her head slightly to defer to him. Harry turned to Dumbledore. "That works perfectly, Professor. You don't need to compensate me, though."

"Nonsense, Harry. In this instance, she works for you, and you are providing her to the school. Trust me, it will be much cheaper than hiring a group of private security forces for the same thing, especially if she truly has the skills you've informed me of. Not that I'm doubting you." The old man clarified. "In that case, she'll travel with you on the Express. It would be helpful if you could patrol the train once or twice during the trip."

Arturia nodded. "Understood. I thank you for the solution."

Dumbledore smiled. "No problem at all." He waved his wand to dispel the sound ward. "Now then, I believe you have a meal to get to?"

The three made their way back towards the house, all the Weasleys and Hermione waiting for them.

"Won't you stay for a bit, Albus? There's plenty of food." Mrs. Weasley asked as Harry and Arturia took their seats at the table, Harry's mouth watering at the sight of the food. He could see that Ron was barely keeping himself from diving in, practically drooling, Hermione rolling her eyes beside him.

"Alas, Molly, I have much to do due to certain events. I'm afraid I cannot spare the time. Please, all of you, enjoy and have fun." He smiled at them all before moving back into the house.

Once everybody began eating the night passed in a blur of good food and conversation for Harry. Arturia enjoyed herself as well, consuming every speck of food she could reach, all with perfect poise and elegance. Harry couldn't help but shake his head at the absurdity of her appetite, especially for someone who technically didn't need to eat.

After the meal was over everybody had to go to bed in order to get up early the next morning to head to the World Cup. There was some consternation about where to put Arturia, as the Burrow was already filled to bursting, however she stated that she would sleep on the couch in the living room. It was comfortable enough, and it gave her the bonus of being able to keep an eye on the entrances, and the fireplace, in case of anybody flooing in to attack. Mister Weasley shook his head at that, muttering something about 'Another Moody'.

Harry had just changed into his pajamas in Ron's room when Hermione barged in, making the shirtless Ron yelp in surprise. "Hermione!"

Hermione looked away, cheeks slightly pink, before she affixed her eyes on Harry. "Are you finally going to explain Arturia, Harry?"

Harry sighed. He should have guessed that's what this was about. He motioned for Hermione to close the door as Ron hurriedly finished putting on his shirt.

"Arturia works for me because of this ring." He explained, holding up his hand so his friends could see the ring.

Hermione leaned close to examine it, but her brow furrowed. "Are you saying she's being compelled to follow your orders because of this ring?"

Harry flinched at the very idea. "No!" Then he thought about it. "Well, kind of, but not really. I asked her about it before. She says it wouldn't have summoned her if we weren't compatible and she wasn't okay with it. There are ways of forcing a Servant to obey when summoned, but I didn't use that method to call her."

Ron and Hermione glanced at each other, mystified, before Ron turned back to Harry. "I think you should start from the beginning, mate."

Harry let out another sigh before beginning to explain about getting the ring from Sirius, the story behind it, and summoning Arturia. He took pleasure in the looks on their faces when he told them who she really was, though.

"That's King Arthur!?" Hermione almost shrieked in shock.

Harry grinned, enjoying their shock. "Yep."

"But… She's a girl." Ron asked, dumbfounded.

Harry rolled his eyes. "Thank you for telling me, Ron. I never would have noticed. Truly your powers of observation astound me." He grinned good naturedly at the redhead, who looked sheepish. "I thought the same thing when I met her. Apparently Merlin helped her pretend to be a man."

Hermione shook her head in wonder. "Amazing. The actual King Arthur. Imagine everything we could learn from her…"

"I bet she has some kick ass stories." Ron exclaimed with a grin.

Harry chuckled and opened his mouth to answer when there was a pounding on the door. "You all need to get to sleep." Mrs. Weasley said. "You don't have long before you need to wake up. Get to bed, now."

The trio looked at each other before Hermione got up to leave. "We'll discuss this more later. Goodnight you two." She left as the two bid her goodnight.

As the boys lay down to sleep, Ron muttered a sleepy question. "Say Harry, think she'd mind teaching us how to swordfight?"

Harry blinked and thought about it. "Good question. Think I should ask?"

Snoring was his only answer.

* * *

In the old Eastern European tower, a bright light flashed in the windows at the top of the structure. Inside the room, the mistress of the land addressed the figure kneeling before her. "Go to Britain and follow the signal from this." She handed them a pulsing red jewel. "Kill the one it leads to…" Perfect red lips twisted into a cruel smirk.

"And bring me their ring."

* * *

 ** _I do not like this chapter. Not at all. It's probably some of my worst work. That said, it's necessary to get through._**

 ** _You might have noticed that I've skipped some events and conversations. That's because they remain mostly the same, and I don't feel the need to go through them again. It's just extra workfor no reason._**

 ** _People have been suggesting Servants to include. I'm taking them under consideration. I already know what the second Servant is going to be. I'm looking forward to getting to them. It's going to be a bit though. Arturia can handle things on her own for now._**

 ** _As for pairings, I said it PROBABLY won't be a Servant. Mostly I just can't think of who would be good. Maybe Marie? That might be fun. Or a certain Kitsune?_**

 ** _As stated before Voldemort won't be the main bad guy. That doesn't mean he'll be completely inconsequential, though. He has his place in events. Although honestly, I'm winging this story, like I do most of what I write. It's worked for me so far._**

 ** _I made some minor changes to previous chapters so that at Arturia doesn't have Avalon at the moment, and keeps Excalibur sheathed in Invisible Air, like in the anime. It doesn't really impact much, though I might develop it into a plot point going forward. We'll see what I come up with._**

 ** _That's it for now. Please review and let me know what you thought. Till next time._**


	4. Quidditch, and Other Sports

The next morning Harry and the others were woken up while it was still dark out for their trek out to the site where they'd be catching their ride to the location the World Cup would be held.

When he got down to the kitchen to get breakfast, still droopy eyed and barely coherent, it was to find Arturia sitting at the table with a cup of tea while Mrs. Weasley bustled around preparing meals for them. He sat down beside his Servant, letting out a tired grunt when she greeted him, amusing her. He envied her supernatural stamina and alertness.

After a hearty meal (and an argument between Mrs. Weasley and the twins), the group set off to the hill where their ride was. As they walked Hermione tried to ask Arturia questions about Camelot and Merlin, but she didn't manage to get far before the conversation was derailed by Harry and the Weasleys discussing what they expected out of the World Cup match, which prompted the Servant to try to find out more about the game, which hadn't been around during her time (or if it had, she hadn't heard of it).

By the time they finally reached the old, worn out boot (which confused Harry and Arturia) that was their portkey to the World Cup, everybody except the Servant was tired. The blonde turned to her Master as he rested.

"Harry, I believe you should begin exercising more to improve your fitness." She said, looking pristine and fresh compared to Harry, who was sweating rather heavily.

"Yeah." Harry said tiredly. "You're probably right." Then he looked up at her, remembering what Ron had mentioned the previous night. "Actually, I was wondering, do you think you could teach me how to use a sword?"

Arturia was surprised, but then she smiled. "Yes, Harry. I believe I could teach you some techniques. It would be a good idea for you to have a way of physically defending yourself anyway." She patted his shoulder. "We'll start your training once we've returned from this trip. I warn you, however, that it will be hard work."

Harry nodded agreeably. "I figured as much. Still, it sounds like something worthwhile to learn. I've only ever used a sword once, and I didn't know much beyond 'pointy end goes in the other guy'."

Arturia chuckled before Mr. Weasley called her and Harry over, where the rest of the group had been joined by two new arrivals, Cedric Diggory and his father, Amos.

Harry shook hands with Cedric, who proceeded to cringe when his father began loudly bragging about how Cedric had beaten Harry at quidditch once. Despite being a bit uncomfortable, Harry gave Cedric a small smile, letting him know it was alright.

* * *

After an unpleasant portkey trip and a bit of walking the party arrived at their designated campsite and helped set up the tents. Harry, Hermione and Arturia were surprised by the space in the tents before reminding themselves that it was magic.

"I wish we'd had something like this during my time." Arturia sighed as she looked at one of the beds, clean and soft. "It would have made long campaigns much more bearable."

Hermione smiled. "I would imagine so. Did you have to do that a lot?"

"Often enough, yes." Arturia said. "In those times conflict was inevitable. If it was not invaders to your lands it was some sort of monster. Which is why we savored peace whenever it came."

The younger girl nodded in understanding as she followed behind Harry and Ron, who had grabbed the water bucket and were leaving to fetch some water, leaving Mr. Weasley behind to entertain himself with the matches.

The quartet couldn't help but stare as they passed the various odd tents with equally odd inhabitants. Arturia was especially interested in seeing more examples of how the magical people of the current time lived. Not to mention she was seeing peoples from different parts of the world, some of whom she'd never heard of, and others that her people had been at outright war with. It was a surreal experience for her.

There was also the fact that they kept running into Harry's schoolmates. She made sure to study each of them, seeing as she'd be charged with protecting them soon when she worked as security at Hogwarts. Her lips curled in amusement at Harry's reaction to seeing the Chang girl. It seemed her Master had a small infatuation. Cute.

She stopped when a small form barreled into her leg, looking down to find a child of about 4 looking up at her from atop a small toy broom. She smiled down at the girl pleasantly, making her smile back before her mother took hold of her, apologizing profusely to Arturia with an accent the Servant didn't recognize. She waved it off and resumed walking, her charge and his friends having gotten away from her a bit.

She was about to reach them when she paused, frowning. Her finely honed senses were whispering to her, warning her that something wasn't right. She looked around, trying to figure out what was causing the sensation, but saw nothing other than happy and excited witches and wizards going about their day in preparation for the big event later that night. Nobody was looking at her or Harry with malice, too involved in with their own things. Though the crowd would be a good place to disappear into after planting a dagger in their backs or, in this case, launching a spell at them.

That thought firmly in mind, she hurried to her charge and stayed close, alert and ready for anything. Thankfully nothing presented itself, and the sensation of wrongness dissipated after a while. Still, she stayed on her toes even as the day passed.

* * *

Later that night, Arturia could hear the cheering of the crowds in the stadium, the noise thunderous in the night, especially as the campgrounds were utterly empty of people except for Ministry personnel wandering around in case of trouble. They occasionally stopped to glance at her as she sat outside of the tents as a guard, Quidditch Through the Ages in her hand, before moving on, apparently determining she wasn't going to go around robbing people while they were busy at the game.

Mr. Weasley had been apologetic that he didn't have another ticket so she could join them, and had even offered her his own, but she'd declined the kind offer. It was not his fault she had not been expected, and he deserved to enjoy the game with his children.

As she sat back, perusing the book to try to figure out what the fuss about the game was about, her mind wandered.

She had been surprised when she felt the summons to the ring not that long ago. It had been something she'd eagerly responded to, the change welcome.

Existence in the Throne of Heroes was not an unpleasant one. Indeed, it was actually quite enjoyable, in some respects. However, any Heroic Spirit would jump at the chance to spend time in the living world once again, to see how things had changed. Arturia had accepted because the summons told her that her summoner was a kind soul that needed help and was compatible with her. There were likely other Heroic Spirits that were just as compatible, but she'd gotten the call first. Something she was glad about.

Harry was a kind, strong young man. Had he been born during her time she would have been glad to have him serve her. The deeds he'd told her of, without a hint of boasting, were the kinds of things that would have had him placed high in her armies had he ever decided to join their ranks, perhaps even amongst the Knights of the Round Table. She could tell that they would get along well, and indeed, they already did. He was always considerate of her, even when it wasn't necessary. She wondered if he would have any aptitude when it came to swordsmanship.

Turning back to the book, she raised an eyebrow at the absurd number of ways to foul a player. Some of them were ridiculous, and made her chuckle. Her head lifted again, however, when she heard the roar of the crowd in the stadium reach a crescendo. Something must have happened. Perhaps the game was over?

It seemed so, as within fifteen minutes people began to arrive back among the tents, singing raucously and celebrating an Irish victory, something that brought a smile to her face. Putting the book away she sat to wait for the rest of her group to arrive, watching the partying crowd begin getting more and more enthusiastic.

Finally they arrived, all of them smiling from the excitement of the match and chattering about what they'd seen, Ron making some expressive gestures as he argued with one of the twins.

"So, it was a good game, I take it?" Arturia asked Harry as he sat beside her.

Harry nodded enthusiastically, still clutching his omnioculars. "Oh yeah, it was amazing. I saw some things I really want to try the next time I play as well."

Hermione turned to Harry from where she'd been talking to Ginny. "Harry! I'm hoping you don't intend to try that Wonky-Faint thing!"

"Hermione!" Ron cried, sounding deeply offended. "It's a _Wronski Feint._ " He sounded truly exasperated with her.

Hermione raised her nose, ignoring his offence. "That's far too dangerous. You saw what happened to the man who plowed into the ground."

Arturia quirked an eyebrow. "Wronski Feint?"

Harry turned back to Arturia. "It's a move where you pretend to have seen the Snitch and dive to the ground like you're chasing it, making sure the other team's seeker follows. Then, right before you hit the ground, you pull up, avoiding the ground while they crash into it."

Arturia cocked her head. "That does sound very dangerous. Obviously a risky move, but I imagine it has an equally high reward."

As Harry nodded Ginny leaned forward to address him. "But Harry, you've already done it, or something like it."

Harry turned to Ginny, blinking in confusion. "Huh?"

"Last year, in your match against Ravenclaw. You did it against Cho." She said.

Harry thought back, trying to remember that game. "…Huh, I guess I did." He smiled. "Well, at least I know I can do it."

Hermione huffed.

* * *

It was well after midnight, the camp grounds quiet after everybody partied themselves out, when Arturia's eyes snapped open as she heard unfortunately familiar sounds.

People screaming in fear.

Quickly getting out of her bed, her armor appearing around her form in an instant, she hurriedly woke the girls, having just gotten them out of bed when Mr. Weasley rushed into the girls' tent.

"What's happening?" She asked swiftly as the girls put on robes.

"Seems like someone had a bit too much drink and sounds like they're coming this way." Mr. Weasley said grimly, quickly leading the three out.

Arturia looked at where the commotion was coming from to find a group of individuals in black robes and white skull masks making their way among the tents, laughing raucously as they blasted tents out of the way. Several among their number were holding the non-magical camp attendant and his family high in the air. One was making the young boy twirl around like a top, while another made the wife go upside down, her nightdress falling about her body and exposing her to the black robed group, who hooted at the sight.

"That's sick." Ron spat from nearby as the older Weasley boys emerged, wands in hand.

"What are Death Eaters doing here?" Hermione gasped.

"Who?" Harry and Arturia asked at the same time, the Servant's eyes narrowed in fury.

"That's what You-Know-Who's followers called themselves." Ginny explained.

As Bill, Charlie and Percy rushed to help the Ministry workers that were trying to contain the situation their father turned to the kids. "I want you all to run to safety. Get into the trees, you should be alright there till we can come get you. We don't want to let them catch sight of more targets. Especially you, Harry."

Harry nodded in understanding and, as Mr. Weasley rushed off as well, his eyes narrowed and he turned to Arturia while the others began to move away towards the treeline. "Arturia, go deal with the Death Eaters. Don't kill them, but if the choice is them or the family…"

The Servant could see how the implications of that order affected him. "Master, I think I should stay by your side."

Harry shook his head. "I'll be fine. The danger is where the Death Eaters are. We'll be safe in the trees, and I would feel better putting your skills to use dealing with them."

Arturia hesitated before nodding. "Alright, stay safe." She then launched herself at the Death Eaters with speed and grace no normal human could achieve, her hands already clasping her invisible blade.

Harry turned to Ron and Hermione, who had stayed behind to wait for him, and nodded, the three quickly rushing into the treeline.

None of them noticed the dark shape following behind.

* * *

The Death Eaters causing the commotion were enjoying themselves more than they had in years. It felt good to finally let loose, showing the muggles who was boss. The best part was that the Ministry workers were hesitant to go on the offensive for fear of causing harm to the family.

One of the Death Eaters let out a loud laugh as he blasted another tent out of the way, moving out of the path of a Ministry spell and retaliating. He turned with an unseen grin as the Ministry lackey fell to a body bind, only to find a beautiful girl practically flying towards him and swinging her arms before everything went black when he felt something smash into his head.

The Death Eaters were utterly unprepared for this sort of resistance. Arturia became a wrecking ball, smashing the dark robed wizards aside with enough carefully measured force to injure but not kill. Her innate magic resistance protected her from the panicked spells they launched at her, the relatively minor curses and jinxes splashing against her like water against steel.

When she reached one of the wizards holding the family in the air she moved her arm in a blur, smashing his wand (and a good number of bones) to pieces. Then, without pause, she launched herself into the air, catching the daughter of the family before she'd even begun to drop and setting her safely on the ground where she shook, traumatized.

After offering the girl a brief, reassuring smile, she launched herself back into the fray, her invisible sword lashing out to continue bashing the enemies with the flat of the blade, rescuing two more of the non-magicals in short order.

One of the remaining Death Eaters became desperate, and with a cry of "Avada Kedavra!" fired a jet of sickly green light at her.

Arturia, unfamiliar with the spell, nevertheless could sense the danger that radiated from it and quickly dodged, the light missing her by inches. However, not everyone was so lucky, and the Death Eater holding up the last hostage was hit, instantly dropping like a stone, his captive doing the same. The Servant once again launched herself into the air to catch the falling woman even as an emerald light began to shine at her back. She set the woman down with her family, where she proceeded to hug her children, sobbing.

Hearing the loud cracks of apparition (recognizing the sound from the occasional times she heard it from the adult Weasleys and around the campgrounds), Arturia turned to find that the Death Eaters that weren't unconscious (or dead) had run away, meaning the fight was over. She relaxed marginally, but tensed again when she looked up at the green light to find a shape in the sky made up of green stars, looking like a colossal skull with a snake leaving its mouth like a twisted parody of a tongue.

Whatever it was, she doubted it was a good sign.

"Hands in the air!" Someone barked, and she turned to see several Ministry people approaching her warily, wands in hand and aimed at her.

Arturia dismissed Excalibur and did as told. She could evade them easily, but that would cause unnecessary issues for Harry. Best that she do as she was told for now. The danger had passed, and everybody was safe.

So why did she have a bad feeling?

* * *

Harry stood stock still, staring in disbelief at the knife buried by his cheek in the tree he was pressed against, a bit of blood escaping the cut it had caused. Beside him, Hermione gasped and clutched his arm, while Ron let out a loud gulp. Slowly, he turned his gaze to see who had thrown it.

It was a man, or at least seemed to be a man. Much like the Death Eaters, he wore a skull like mask and wore a black, tattered cloak about his form. His shoulders were wide, and stance hunched. All in all, he was highly intimidating.

He couldn't believe how lucky he was. He had only barely avoided death when he turned his head to the sound of the voice calling "Morsmordre" and launching the shape of green light into the sky. A single millisecond's difference, and that knife would be buried in his skull.

Frantically he reached into his pocket, trying to find his wand, even though he already knew he didn't have it. Without it, he was as good as dead. That impression was strengthened when the figure held up a hand covered in unusual black skin, a brace of several more throwing knives held between its fingers.

Before he could do anything, or think of anything _to_ do, for that matter, Ron let out a shaky breath and stepped forward, his wand held out to aim at the menacing figure even as his legs shook, his intent obvious.

"Ron…" Harry croaked.

Ron didn't appear to hear him, focusing on holding his lightly wavering wand steady.

Then, the figure attacked.

* * *

 ** _I skipped a lot of stuff in this chapter because it was for the most part not necessary. That said, I don't like this chapter precisely because of that._**

 ** _I've had trouble getting up the motivation to write more of this story because of the reviews I got after the last chapter. Almost all of them were copy and paste reviews from guest accounts to try to influence me to write this in the way whoever that person was wanted._**

 ** _It was demoralizing to see ten new reviews when I woke up, getting excited to see what people said of what I wrote, only to find out that they were all copy/pastes from, apparently, the same person. The fact that the reviews had related usernames was a clue._**

 ** _I stopped reading them, and lost interest in this story for a while, focusing on my other stories._**

 ** _That's not to say I didn't appreciate the real reviews. I treasure every single one. Those do motivate me to write._**

 ** _If I get any similar reviews going forward, I'm deleting them. So please, don't bother. If this keeps going on, I'll just end up disabling guest reviews, and I'd rather not do that._**

 ** _Also, stop with the story challenges in reviews! I have too many of my own ideas to take on challenges, so please don't waste your time._**

 ** _Now, in other, more interesting things, this chapter finally gave us some action. We saw that even magicals can't hold much of a candle to Servants. Not in a drunken, disorganized mob, at least. The fact that these Death Eaters were captured in this way will have consequences too. Draco's going to be especially pissed._**

 ** _As always, been playing Grand Order a bunch. I love that game. It's continued to provide ideas. Like why Blackbeard should never be included in this fic._**

 ** _I still don't know about pairings. I have decided that Harry will date someone during this school year, but that won't necessarily be the final pairing. People, after all, date around when they're younger before settling down, if they ever do._**

 ** _Now, so everyone knows, because of some money issues in my life, I've set up a Pat A Ron. It's Pat A Ron dotcom slash athanmortis. I've set things up so that, if you become a patron, you get a say in what I write. One of the stories I do a month will be Patron chosen from the list I put up for vote each month. So if you want to see Ballad updated more often, become a patron and vote for it whenever it comes up._**

 ** _I think that's it. If you liked the chapter, I'm glad, and please leave me a (real) review telling me so. Till next time._**


	5. Rumble in the, uh, Woods

With a shouted "Protego" Ron barely got a shield up in time to block the knives the black clad figure threw at them, the weapons pinging harmlessly off the magical barrier, though Ron felt the immense amount of force they impacted with, almost making it through. The redhead managed to avoid panicking as their assailant rushed them at speeds greater than any they had seen Arturia reach and cast a stunning spell.

To the trio's surprised fear, the assassin batted the spell aside like it was a thrown pebble with his unnaturally black hand, another bunch of knives appearing between his fingers in the same motion and being thrown to kill Ron.

"Protego!" Hermione screamed as she jabbed her wand forward, the shield appearing in front of Ron, only barely keeping him from dying. The boy stumbled back, and the assassin got ready to continue closing the distance when they were interrupted by multiple cracks of apparition followed by a chorus of voices screaming "Stupefy!".

Harry immediately grabbed Ron and Hermione and pulled them down to the ground as multiple jets of light soared over their heads, some heading into the trees around them. The assassin, on the other hand, danced around the spells with preternatural grace, not a single one touching him. Then he threw himself at one of the wizards that had launched the attack.

"Wha-!" The portly man cried out in surprise as the attacker's right arm, which the trio hadn't seen yet, emerged from underneath his ragged black cloak. There was something obviously unnatural about it, as it not only seemed to emanate waves of malice, the black skin turning the burning orange of a flame the closer it got to his clawed hand, till his palm seemed to contain a fire in itself, but the arm itself was twice al long as his left arm, which was already longer than normal.

The assassin grabbed the wizard's throat and effortlessly snapped his neck with an audible crack before dropping the body and rushing another of the wizards there before anybody could react to the brutal attack beyond the gasp of horrified shock that escaped Hermione's mouth. The next man panicked flailing backward as he tried to get away. The assassin grabbed one of his waving arms and swung him with inhuman strength headfirst into a tree, smashing his skull in. Then, without looking, he launched a trio of knives at a witch who was about to launch a spell at him, making her go down with a gurgle from a bloody throat.

The Ministry wizards obviously didn't know what to do, hesitating as the trio got to their feet. Harry's sharp eyes caught the assassin preparing to dash in the direction of Amos Diggory and he began to run towards him, ignoring Ron and Hermione's calls for him to come back. "Hey, weren't you after me!?"

The skull masked man turned to look at Harry mere feet from a pale Amos. Then he dashed at the boy as the other two teens yelled in fear. Harry stared as the assassin stopped in front of him, still moving unnaturally, and held out its burning orange hand, palm up. The attacker's target knew that he was in more danger than he'd probably ever been. He needed help, and he needed it now. "Arturia, I need you!" He cried out without thinking, not noticing the intricate runework on his ring glow red briefly. All his attention was drawn to the figure's hand, above which a human heart materialized, pumping phantom blood as it floated in place. Somehow, Harry knew with a thrill of fear, that was _his_ heart.

The skull mask's empty eye sockets seemed to gaze malevolently into Harry's, who saw in seeming slow motion as the long, clawed fingers of the glowing orange hand curled, about to crush Harry's heart in its fist. Harry stopped breathing, knowing he was dead, that there was no way he could avoid what was coming.

Then a purple portal appeared beside the two and Arturia shot out, weapon at the ready, and slashed at the assassin's arm. Her enemy managed to avoid the assault, though he had to abandon his own attack, the disembodied heart fading into nothingness. Harry fell on his ass as he started panting harshly from the close call, eyes wide in shock as Arturia chased the assassin away.

Arturia stopped in the middle of the clearing as the man who had attacked her Master vanished, concealing his presence perfectly so even she couldn't locate him despite her supernatural senses. That could only mean one thing, in her mind. "Master, go back to the others and put your back to one of the larger trees. The Servant can attack from anywhere."

Harry quickly nodded and rushed over to his friends, who hurriedly pulled him close, covering him from attacks with their bodies even as they set up shields to either side.

Arturia stepped back and let her head turn to search for her opponent, ready to react at a moment's notice, barely registering the various wizards moving to hide among the trees. She was thankful that Harry had managed to summon her. She'd been busy dealing with jumpy, self important Ministry officials wanting to arrest her, Arthur Weasley arguing on her behalf quite vociferously. If it hadn't been for the Command Harry unknowingly gave to call her to his side, she wouldn't have known anything was happening till she ended up back in the Throne of Heroes due to his death.

Feeling the whisper of warning that was her combat instincts, Arturia moved her head to the side, barely avoiding the dirk that her opponent almost plunged into the back of her head. She turned with the motion to slash with her blade, the assassin dodging away sinuously. Then the fight started in earnest.

Harry, Ron, Hermione and the rest of the gathered witches and wizards could only watch in awe as the two clearly inhuman combatants fought. Arturia's swings of her sword felled trees with ease as the assassin dodged and counterattacked with speed and agility that made it clear he hadn't been taking things even remotely seriously before the knight's arrival.

When the assassin jumped to the treetops and began raining knives down on Arturia, many there were surprised when she ran up the tree at high speed in spite of the heavy armor she wore. The two then engaged in aerial combat, jumping from branch to branch as they tried to kill each other.

Harry could only watch his Servant fight with a deep sense of awe. The two had discussed her abilities during their time together at the Dursleys, but seeing her in action right in front of him was utterly eye opening. The best Hollywood special effects and stunt team would weep in envy at what he was witnessing now.

Finally one of the combatants seemed to get the upper hand, and unfortunately for Harry, it was the assassin. He had leaped above Arturia as she launched herself at him, his abnormally long arm reaching out with a dirk clutched in his fist, about to sink the blade into her spine.

Harry tried to yell out a warning, but even as his mouth opened to do so Arturia suddenly spun around, a burst of power leaving her feet, making her turn. The assassin was obviously caught off guard, and he tried to evade while in midair. Unfortunately for him he wasn't as mobile in the air as the swordswoman was. Another massive burst of power left her hands, and her sword swing suddenly became six times faster and more forceful. The assassin wasn't expecting the sudden shift in force and velocity, and was thus unprepared when the blade suddenly rocketed around and sliced into his neck despite his great speed and agility. Within moments both Servants dropped to the forest floor, one of them sans head.

Harry smiled with relief as Arturia looked around warily for any further threats. Once he saw her relax he moved towards her, Ron and Hermione letting their shields dissipate. "Are you alright?"

Arturia nodded calmly. "I am uninjured. What about you?"

"No injuries here either." He said with relief. He turned slightly when something glowing gold caught his attention, catching sight of his attacker's body dissolving into motes of light.

He was stopped from saying anything else as Barty Crouch came out of the woods, eyes wide and practically apoplectic, his wand clutched tightly in his fist. "What in Merlin's name just happened!?" Then his gaze turned to Arturia. "And who exactly are you? I saw you earlier with Arthur Weasley, but you're obviously not normal."

Harry stepped forward before the King could speak, mind racing. "She's my bodyguard." He stood his ground as Crouch turned furious eyes at him even as other Ministry employees warily walked out of the woods. "After the fiasco last year with Sirius Black I decided I needed someone to watch my back, since the Ministry obviously couldn't be counted on to do so." The last was said bitingly, though Harry wished he'd kept from letting his bitterness at everything that happened the previous year out of it once he saw Crouch begin to look even more furious. He quickly plowed on. "Obviously I made the right call, since whoever that was obviously wanted to kill me."

Crouch was breathing heavily, still obviously irate. "I have three dead wizards, boy, plus the man your 'bodyguard' killed back in the campgrounds. That along with the fact that you summoned the Dark Mark means you are in a lot of trouble."

Harry went quiet at the reminder of the people that died simply because they were in the wrong place at the wrong time when that monster tried to kill him. Hermione, however, spoke up for him. "We didn't summon the Dark Mark! We were just trying to get away from the commotion like everybody else when we heard someone summon it! That's when we were attacked."

Crouch moved to speak, but an obviously still shaken Amos Diggory spoke first. "Where did you hear it, miss?" When Hermione motioned th direction in which the incantation had come from Amos headed into the trees with two other men to search for evidence.

"Don't think you're going to get out of this by fabricating an unseen susp-" Crouch began, face red, when he was interrupted by Amos.

"We found something! It's… Blimey, it's a house elf. It's Winky! And she has a wand."

As Barty Crouch went from crimson to white faster than even Vernon Dursley could manage, and Amos Diggory came out of the woods carrying the unconscious elf and his wand, Harry felt exhaustion begin to set in.

He was ready for the day to be over already. And it was only about two AM.

* * *

Hours later, Harry sat in Amelia Bones' office in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement of the Ministry with Arturia by his side. His Servant had refused point blank to leave his side, and she was still clad in her armor ready and waiting for any attack on her Master.

The two were alone in the office. Madam Bones was out dealing with the fallout of the entire event, though she'd told him in no uncertain terms that Harry was to stay in the office till she returned.

Harry stared into the depths of the cup of tea he'd been provided, his eyes unfocused as he remained lost in thought. Now that the adrenaline had faded and he could process everything that had happened, the exhaustion coupled with the biting guilt he felt gnawed at him.

Finally Arturia had enough of the silence. "Are you alright, Harry?" She asked softly.

Her charge let out a long, tired sigh as his gaze turned to gaze at her. Briefly he took her in, beautiful and resplendent in her armored dress, looking every inch the legendary ruler she was. Compared to her, he felt so very small.

"Three people died because of me, Arturia." He said softly, mental and physical exhaustion coloring his words. "It would have been more if you hadn't arrived when you did." He didn't say anything further, simply taking a sip of his now cold tea.

Arturia closed her eyes briefly before looking at him seriously. "That was not your fault, Master."

He looked at her sharply. "That assassin was after me. If I hadn't been there, those people would be alive."

"The fault lies with the person that sent that Servant, Master." She said calmly. "You had no way of knowing he was after you, so you cannot be blamed for his attack. And even if you did know, you can't be expected to place your life on hold. Taking more precautions, yes. And we will be doing so now that we know someone sent that Servant after you. But you have no reason to blame yourself."

Before Harry could respond the door opened and Madam Bones walked in with Dumbledore behind her. The owner of the office moved behind her desk and took a seat before removing her monocle from her eye and running her fingers through her close cropped grey hair. "What a mess…" She said. "We haven't had something like this happen in Britain in almost fourteen years."

Dumbledore took a seat in the chair he'd conjured. "Indeed." He said as he stroked his beard. "The country will likely be in an uproar over the events of this night come morning."

Bones turned a piercing stare in Harry's direction, folding her hands on the desk in front of her. "Mister Potter, I have five previously exonerated Death Eaters in my cells, another in the morgue, and three dead Ministry employees to add to that." She leaned forward. "Now, I'm not blaming you for the deaths, even the one that occurred during the altercation your Servant was involved in. We have multiple witnesses to what happened, and I have reviewed pensieve memories from several of those involved. However, I want to hear exactly what happened from your point of view. _Do not_ leave _anything_ out, understood?"

Harry hesitated before nodding and beginning to speak. He started with when he woke up, through stumbling in the forest with Ron and Hermione, and up to the moment Arturia killed the enemy assassin.

When he was done the occupants of the office were silent for a long minute before Madam Bones set Harry's wand on the desk. "Everything I have heard and seen so far corroborates your story. As such, you are not being charged with anything, and you have the Ministry's official gratitude for helping stop the Death Eaters, though that comes with a warning not to take the law into your own hands again, especially when there are already Ministry personnel on site to deal with the situation. Understood?" Harry nodded slowly as he picked up his wand, briefly looking it over in case of any damage. "Good. In case, you a free to go, but be aware that you may be called upon at any time to answer further questions."

"Thank you, Madam Bones." Harry said as he stood up, Arturia doing the same at his side. "I'll be ready whenever you need me."

Dumbledore, who had already risen from his seat, led the two out of the office and through the halls of the Ministry. Harry looked around as he walked, seeing witches and wizards rushing around everywhere despite the early hour, no doubt doing their parts in dealing with the fallout of the night's events.

As the walked Arturia turned her head to look at Dumbledore. "I notice that Bones called me a Servant." She said calmly.

Dumbledore nodded slowly. "I informed her and several involved department heads, along with Fudge, that you are, in essence, Harry's familiar, summoned with the Potter family magic. It was necessary to explain who and what you are, and why they cannot arrest you, which some of the more foolish people wanted to do. They were surprised, as the story of that magic is not well known, but it is legendary among those that do. As such they are wary of doing anything that might draw Harry's ire. Nobody wants to have such power pointed against them. Especially with your display not that long ago."

Arturia nodded thoughtfully. "I see. Hopefully the information won't spread too much."

Dumbledore agreed before turning to Harry. "How are you doing, my boy?"

Harry thought about the question before landing on his answer. "Tired." He said.

Dumbledore chuckled softly. "Understandable. You'll be back at the Burrow soon enough, and will be able to get some sleep."

A few minutes later they reached a row of large fireplaces, obviously meant for floo travel. Without being prompted Harry grabbed some powder and threw it into the fire, walking into the flames and barely getting the name of his destination out coherently.

He stumbled out of the fire into the Weasley's living room. He heard a chorus of 'Harry!' followed by once again being hit by a bushy haired missile, much like the first time he came through a couple of days before.

"Are you alright?" Hermione asked anxiously. "They didn't try to charge you with anything, did they? They couldn't have, they'd have no case. If they did, I'll… I'll…"

"I'm fine, Hermione." He said, smiling slightly at his friend's predictable reaction. "No charges, and they gave me back my wand."

There was some mild celebration in the living room as Arturia and Dumbledore arrived, allowing Harry to see that the entirety of the Weasley clan was there. Then his view was obstructed when Mrs. Weasley pulled him into a hug, holding him tightly. "Oh, I'm so glad you're okay."

"Thanks, Mrs. Weasley." Harry choked out. Once she let him go he stretched to realign his spine. "If it's all the same to you, though, I'm very tired and could use some sleep."

"Oh, of course!" She exclaimed. "Go on up, dear, and sleep as long as you want. I'll wake you for dinner if you're still not up by then."

Harry smiled gratefully before heading up to Ron's room, said owner climbing up behind him.

As Harry changed into his pajamas Ron did the same, as he hadn't gotten much sleep either. "So everything's really okay, Harry?" The redhead asked.

Harry thought over the question seriously. "As okay as they can be after last night." He affirmed as he slipped under the covers.

"Good." Ron said. Then he said something else, but Harry didn't hear it, sleep claiming him almost instantly the moment his head hit the pillow.

* * *

 _ **IT LIVES!**_

 _ **So yeah, welcome to the latest chapter of this fic. Hope it was to your liking.**_

 _ **I know the fight was relatively lackluster. Some people were hoping for Ron to put up a better fight than he did, but to be fair, as awesome as he's proven he can be throughout the series, at this moment he's a fourteen year old who's only finished his third year in school. He didn't really have a chance, but he did well regardless, and the point is that he stepped up when it counted, showing the depth of his friendship to Harry and Hermione.**_

 _ **I do want to remind people that I've already decided on who Harry's next Servant will be. They won't show up for a while, though, as Arturia can handle most situations at this point.**_

 _ **Speaking of Arturia, should I keep her name as is, or change it to Altria as it is the official name thanks to F\GO. I will admit Altria has grown on me since I started playing the game. Doesn't hurt that she was my first 5-star.**_

 _ **On another Servant note, I think Ron and Hermione will each get a Servant of their own. It's not set in stone atm. However, if I do do it, then I already have one picked out for Hermione. She was easy to choose for (Hint, it's a 4-star). Ron is the one giving me issues. So I'm willing to take recommendations on Ron's Servant. Rules are that it has to be a western Servant who has shown up in any of the Nasuverse media so I can look them up. I'm actually leaning towards a Knight of the Round.**_

 _ **I think that's all I need to say at this point. Again, hope you enjoyed the chapter, and don't forget I have a Pat A Ron. It is dotcom /athanmortis. Till next time.**_


	6. Beginner's Exhaustion

When Harry woke up it was to the orange light of a setting, late afternoon sun. The exhaustion that had weighed him down when he went to sleep was gone, though the urge to stay in bed did its best to claim him. Unfortunately, his bladder had other ideas.

Getting up with a groan he felt his bare feet land on Ron's patchy rug, said redhead still snoring contentedly. He stood up and stretched with another groan after putting on his glasses, feeling his back pop satisfyingly.

Once he'd done his business in the loo he wandered downstairs to assuage his stomach's grumbling complaints. Stepping into the kitchen he found Hermione talking to Arturia as Mrs. Weasley prepared a meal, her wand flicking to and fro as the wizarding wireless put out a jazzy, upbeat tune.

"Oh, Harry!" Hermione said with a smile when she spotted him. "We were wondering when you were going to get up."

Arturia turned to look at him, having been sitting with her back to him. "Did you rest well, Master?" She asked.

"Better than I expected to." He said, finishing with a yawn.

"Dinner will be ready in a half hour, dear." Mrs. Weasley said as she continued bustling about.

"Thanks, Mrs. Weasley." Harry said with a smile before moving over to the table to sit down. He stopped, however, when he caught sight of a Daily Prophet which sat on the table, a picture of the Dark Mark over the Quidditch Stadium front and center on the page. The headline "CHAOS AT THE WORLD CUP" was so prominent that Harry was partly surprised that it wasn't flashing bright neon colors. He turned his gaze to Hermione, who had noticed his attention on the paper and was biting her lip.

"They wrote about what happened, including about the people who died." She said softly.

Harry hesitantly reached for the paper before pulling his hand back, not really wanting to read about it. "What were their names?" He asked quietly, and even Mrs. Weasley stopped working, going completely still.

Arturia and Hermione glanced at each other before the Servant responded. "Jonas Bachallian, Bradford Whittle and May Quintal." She said.

Harry closed his eyes, committing those names to memory. Then he once again turned his attention to them. "And the Death Eater? Who was it?"

Hermione bit her lip again before answering. "It was Lucius Malfoy, Harry."

Harry found himself conflicted at hearing the name. On the one hand, he felt sick that somebody had died due to an order he gave, even if it had been because of friendly fire and not something Arturia did. On the other, Lucius Malfoy had caused Harry, along with many others, a large amount of grief during the events of Harry's second year, not to mention his many attempts to have his way in the government, which he had heard Mr. Weasley complain about often enough. His death would improve the lives of many people, and now Harry didn't have to worry about the man helping Voldemort if he ever had the chance.

"Harry?" Hermione asked hesitantly, drawing him from his thoughts.

"I'm fine, Hermione. Just... Surprised." He said as he sat down, taking the tea Mrs. Weasley offered him gratefully.

Arturia remained silent, watching her master carefully but otherwise letting him process everything that had happened.

After a few minutes of thought Harry turned to Arturia. "I know we mentioned it before, but now I really want you to train me." He said intensely. "I was completely helpless without my wand. I might not have been able to defend myself against a Servant either way, but I want to be able to fight on my own without magic if necessary."

Hermione blinked, surprised, as Arturia studied Harry for a moment before nodding. "Very well, Master, I'll train you to the best of my abilities. Be aware, however, that this will be gruelling work, and I will tolerate no laziness or complaints. You commit to it now, or we don't do it at all." She said firmly, eyes serious as she stared her master down. When Harry nodded in agreement she nodded back, satisfied. "Very well, we'll start tomorrow morning after you've had a good breakfast."

"Thank you, Arturia." Harry said with a smile.

"I would not thank me just yet, Harry." She said simply before turning back to her tea, leaving Harry looking suddenly uneasy.

* * *

The next morning, as stated, Harry stood outside of the Burrow with Arturia, Ron at his side and a filling breakfast in his stomach. Hermione sat with the other Weasleys off to the side, a book full of esoteric spells in her lap, unopened as she observed her friends.

She too wanted to improve herself, but she went in the direction of applying her prodigious intellect to making her more combat capable than working on her physical attributes. Ron had teased her that she was getting a bit round (which wasn't remotely true, and everybody knew it) which led to another argument when Hermione didn't take it well, making Harry sigh in exasperation, Arturia look bemused, and the rest of the Weasley children amused at the floor show.

"We have two weeks before you go back to school." Arturia said to the two boys, who stood in transfigured exercise clothes. "We will be training extensively to take full advantage of that time. We will, of course, continue your training after your return, but you won't have as much free time then, so we will do what we can now." She looked the boys up and down with an appraising gaze, making them straighten up. "We will be focusing first on your physical fitness. You are not out of shape, but neither are you all that fit. I would say you are currently at the bare minimum of what would have been expected of the men of my time to be accepted into the army, and that was only so they could begin training."

"What about learning sword skills?" Ron asked.

"We will get to that once I'm satisfied you will be able to swing a sword more than twice without running out of breath." Their trainer said, much to Ron's chagrin and the observers' amusement. "Now, stamina is as important as strength, so we will be working on that quite a bit. I want you to run twenty laps around the property." She said, making Ron's eyes widen and Harry grimace slightly before he took off running.

Seeing that Harry had already headed off to do as told, Ron let out a groan before following along behind him, legs pumping to catch up.

It quickly became apparent that Harry was the one in better shape of the two, his Quidditch training at school, though not a huge help, giving him an edge over Ron. Thus he didn't collapse onto the ground quite as gracelessly as his best friend did when the laps were done. Of course, Arturia didn't give them more than a minute to catch their breath and sip some water.

She made them perform pushups, pullups, situps and every other type of exercise Harry remembered from primary school gym class. By the time they were done both boys were soaked in sweat and their limbs felt like noodles. Even then it wasn't over, however, and after an hour of rest, along with a good lunch, the training resumed, the knight enlisting Bill and Charlie to transfigure a few rocks into weights so the two trainees could proceed with strength training. The older redheads happily did so, and Ron proceeded to curse them out as he lifted the weights with Arturia as spotter.

"There… has to be… an easier way… to do this…" Ron panted as he did the last weight reps.

"If there are, I haven't heard of them." Hermione said thoughtfully.

"I think there are." Charlie said from where he was sipping some juice while playing chess with Bill. "But they're hideously expensive and are easy to become addicted to. Not many wizards work out physically, so it isn't something that's really researched."

"That's a pity." Harry said from where he was sitting, catching his breath after having finished his own set. "It would be nice to speed things up."

"Hard work will give you the results you want, if you're willing to be diligent." Arturia said. "My knights may have had magical items and abilities to aid them, but they still worked hard to improve their skills and abilities."

"I'm not saying I'm going to slack off." Harry assured her. "I'm just saying that getting faster results would be nice."

"I will admit they would." Arturia admitted. "The sooner you can defend yourself, the better. We just need to make sure the method to do so doesn't have drawbacks."

"Would you be willing to look into that for us?" Harry asked Charlie. "I'm willing to pay you for the trouble."

Charlie considered. "Mmm, I don't see why not. I could use some more pocket money." He said. "I'll ask around."

"I will too." Bill chimed in. "I can ask the goblins if they're aware of anything that would help out. Don't expect it to be cheap, though."

"Thanks guys." Harry said with a smile, which proceeded to fall from his face when Arturia demanded another set of weight lifting, though this time with different types of weights.

He kept telling himself it would be worth it when he was a master swordsman that would put anything from the movies to shame, but that only did so much to help his motivation. Still, he'd promised Arturia he'd do his best, so he quickly picked up the hand weights and began curling his burning arms, Ron moaning piteously beside him as he did the same.

* * *

The next two weeks passed in a blur of pain and exhaustion for the two boys, their training continuing to be as gruelling as it had on that first day. After the third day they finally began sword training using heavy, blunt training swords Arturia had once again worked with the eldest Weasley children to make.

Unfortunately it wasn't as exciting as Harry and Ron had been envisioning. Their trainer made them swing the sword in the same exact motion dozens of times, whacking them with a stick she'd picked up when they did it wrong. She said it was to build muscle memory, but it was still monotonous work.

Of course, the boys' training wasn't the only thing that happened during those two weeks. The Ministry was still dealing with the fallout of the World Cup, according to Percy and Mr. Weasley on one of the few times they were home for dinner. They kept getting howlers over the event security, as well as claims for damaged or lost property.

It was as they were packing the night before they were to head back to Hogwarts that Ron got an unpleasant surprise in the form of ancient maroon dress robes with copious amounts of lace. Quite why Ron and Harry (who got some nice, simple bottle green ones, to his relief) would need dress robes during the school year was a mystery, but one that was derailed by the argument an uncomfortable Harry had to witness between Ron and Mrs. Weasley regarding the quality of Ron's robes. Mrs. Weasley admitting they were all they could afford for him made Harry's gut clench, once again remembering the copious amounts of gold in his vault. He went to sleep uneasily, hearing Ron grumble to himself angrily about all his things being rubbish.

The next morning that was all thankfully pushed out of his mind in the mad scramble to get ready and into the taxis Mr. Weasley had hired to take them all to King's Cross. Arturia stood outside, watching the normal Weasley Mayhem with bemusement as trunks were thrown out to the waiting cars and people rushed out mostly dressed.

"Is it always like this?" She asked Harry and Hermione, who stood beside her, ready to go.

"Pretty much." Hermione admitted. "No matter how much Mrs. Weasley reminds them to prepare the night before, we usually only barely make it in time."

When everybody was finally ready and all the trunks were stowed they all quickly rushed into the taxis. Arturia eyed the car as she got in with Harry, this being her first experience riding one. She found it cramped and slightly uncomfortable, though she admitted that may simply be because of the sheer amount of people occupying it.

As the trip wore on she got more used to the experience, gazing out the window as Harry and his friends talked to pass the time, taking in the way the countryside passed quickly and steadily. Such a simple thing, but she found it amazing. In her time, even the greatest of her steeds would not have been able to go as fast as this now commonplace vehicle. And it certainly couldn't have kept up the same pace. It was odd to think that the people of the current era thought nothing of what to her were amazing wonders.

When they arrived at the station and passed through the barrier to Platform 9 ¾ Arturia stopped for a moment, gazing at the steam engine of the train that would carry her and her master from what she still thought of as Londinium (and hadn't that changed quite a bit?) to the Scottish Highlands, doing in less than twelve hours what would have taken her several days.

"Brings back memories." Bill said nostalgically as she stared at the train as well. "Wish I was still a student. Especially considering what's happening at Hogwarts soon."

"What are you talking about!?" Fred burst out even as the boarding whistle sounded, exasperated just as much as his siblings by the cryptic hints everyone kept dropping about something happening at Hogwarts. His parents, Percy, and now his eldest brothers were all driving the younger Weasley children nuts.

"You'll see soon enough, little brother." Charlie said with a grin. "Should be interesting, if nothing else. Maybe I'll come and watch."

The kids desperately wanted to pump the two for more information, but Mr. Weasley cut in at that moment as his wife gave them all farewell hugs. "The train's leaving! You need to go now!"

Begrudgingly they did so, quickly boarding the train as it began to pull away from the station. After boarding they headed off in separate directions, Harry, Ron, Hermione and Arturia quickly finding an empty compartment at the back of the train for themselves.

The much stronger Servant quickly placed their luggage on the racks before looking at Harry. "I am going to perform a patrol of the train as we told Dumbledore I would. I'll be back soon."

Harry nodded. "Alright. We'll be here waiting."

Arturia glanced around once out in the hallway before she began to head in the direction of the engine, deciding to begin her patrol there.

As she passed the various compartments she glanced in to make sure everything was alright, finding them to be full of happy children talking, laughing, playing games, or finishing homework they'd left till the absolute last minute.

Of course, she got her own share of stares as well. A beautiful girl that nobody recognized wandering the train was sure to draw attention, especially amongst a certain segment of the student population. Many of the boys (and more than a few girls) couldn't keep their eyes off of her once they had caught sight of her walking along the hall.

Reaching the first car of the train, which she recalled Hermione telling her was the prefect's car, where they met and organized, she knocked, deciding to introduce herself. She stood at ease as the door opened, revealing Cedric, who blinked in surprise before smiling lightly. "Oh. Hello. I wasn't expecting to see you here. Arturia, right?"

"That's correct, Mr. Diggory." She said, offering him a smile. "I was hoping to introduce myself to the prefects and Head Boy and Girl."

"Uh, sure." He said, stepping back and letting her walk into the compartment, which was full of various teens of both sexes.

"Who are you?" A boy in Ravenclaw colors said brusquely.

"Marcus, don't be rude." A Hufflepuff girl with the head girl badge pinned to her chest chided him. She turned to Arturia with a smile. "Hello. I don't think I've seen you around before. Are you a new student?"

"No, I'm afraid not." Arturia said. "Headmaster Dumbledore has hired me to be additional security this year. I wished to introduce myself to all of you so you would be aware of my presence."

The teens all glanced at each other at her words. "Security? Security for what?" A Slytherin boy asked.

"Dumbledore would not tell me, only that Hogwarts will be hosting some sort of event this year, and after the incidents that have occurred there the last couple of years he felt it best that some extra security was present." She explained calmly, sticking with the story that Dumbledore had provided. "He originally asked for some aurors from the Ministry, but was refused. Thus he contacted my employer and hired me."

"I see…" The head boy said slowly. "Things have been crazier and more dangerous that usual the past few years, so it's probably a wise precaution. In that case, we're glad to have you. Please let any of us know if you need any sort of assistance."

Arturia nodded in agreement, a small smile on her face.

* * *

Back with the trio, Harry and Ron were playing exploding snap as Hermione tried to read over the noise, Crookshanks curled up on her lap and snoozing contentedly. All three had become slightly bored of the trip, though the boys were revelling in time off from their gruelling physical training regiment.

The serenity of the trip was interrupted when a spell crashed through the door's window as Ron was bending down to pick up one of the cards that had fallen to the floor. It impacted against the outside window, shattering it and making the compartment fill with howling wind, the three teens' hair flapping wildly.

All three got into what cover they could in surprised panic, Croockshanks darting under the seats with a yowl, grabbing for their wands as more spells came through the door.

Whoever was attacking gave them too much time to prepare themselves, however, as when the door was finally kicked open the person behind it was met with a flurry of stunning and binding spells, dropping him.

That wasn't the end of it, though, as the debris was blasted into the room, pelting the trio with painful shrapnel. Ron quickly put up a shield just in time to stop the worst of the barrage as Hermione transfigured said debris into a sturdy wooden wall for them to hide behind.

None of the three were really surprised when Draco Malfoy walked into the compartment with Crabbe in front of him, covering him from spellfire. His wand was sparking with magic, a look of rage and grief on his face as his eyes landed on Harry. "POTTER!" He spat. "You killed my father!"

Harry cast his own shield to reinforce Ron's. "I did not!" He denied firmly. "One of his Death Eater buddies killed him!"

"He never would have been hit if it weren't for that whore of yours!" He yelled, confirming for them that he'd somehow heard of Arturia's relationship to Harry, something that hadn't been reported in the Daily Prophet. Most likely someone like Fudge told the Malfoys.

"Stop blaming Harry for your father's mistakes!" Hermione yelled furiously.

"Shut it, mudblood!" Draco yelled back. He raised his wand to launch another spell, but a couple of female voices shouting 'Stupefy!" behind him made him drop like a sack of potatoes. When Crabbe turned dumbly to stare at his boss he was quickly taken down by the trio, falling to the floor as well, landing on top of Goyle.

Everything went silent but for the howling of the wind through the broken window and the click-clack of the train on the tracks as they all caught their breath after the unexpected attack. The trio raised their wands again when somebody poked their head through the door, but relaxed when they saw that it was Ginny, who was accompanied by a girl with dirty blonde hair and elfin features. "You three alright?" Ginny asked, wand still aimed at the three on the floor.

"Yeah, thanks a lot, Ginny." Harry said, making the girl flush slightly, which he pretended not to notice. He slowly stood up as Hermione let their cover turn back into the debris it once was.

The blonde girl peered into the wrecked compartment, giving a long, slow blink of her slightly protuberant eyes. "My, it looks as though a heliopath rampaged in here. Of course, the Ministry of Magic is keeping them all to make an army, so I doubt it…"

Harry gave the girl an odd look before glancing at Ginny who rolled her eyes, looking exasperated. However, before anything could be said about it, Harry heard Arturia's voice ring out commandingly. "What's going on here!?"

Harry stepped out into the corridor, turning to find his Servant striding towards him, clad in her armor now along with her blue dress, a gaggle of prefects led by the Head Boy and Girl following behind her.

Harry let out a sigh of exasperation, wondering how he always ended up in these messes.

* * *

 _ **New update, get!**_

 _ **So, Ballad won the patron poll, which is why it's being updated now. I hope it was to the liking of those that voted for it. I know not all that much happened, but this was more of a breather chapter.**_

 _ **Well, up until the end, that is.**_

 _ **I got a lot of good ideas for Servants for Ron and Hermione. As I said, Hermione's has been decided, though recent inspiration has made me want to give them more, along with give some to others like Ginny and Luna. Perhaps Boudicca-neechan for Ginny? That could work… Especially as my plans for how to give Servants to people other than Harry have crystallized.**_

 _ **Also, Arturia's name is staying as is. I got some rather… adamant messages about that.**_

 _ **I can't think of anything else story related to say.**_

 _ **Since this month is my anniversary with Pat A Ron, I'm going to do something special. As usual, you get a vote in the poll for what I update next which I'll be putting up in the next few hours equal to the dollar amount you donate. However, you'll also have the same amount of votes for a second poll I'm going to put up for what new story I've been itching to write I begin first. So, that means you get to vote for two stories, essentially. As always, my Pat A Ron is dotcom /athanmortis.**_

 _ **I think that's all for now. Hope to see you all next time. Bye.**_


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